Firefighters’ sacrifices to be honoured

South Australians are being urged to honour the sacrifices of current and past firefighters on Monday, International Firefighters Day.

State Minister for Emergency Services Michael Wright said Monday would be particularly moving for all Australians, given the tragedy of Victoria’s recent bushfires.

Nearly 800 of SA’s Country Fire Service and Metropolitan Fire Service firefighters and support staff helped battle the fires in Victoria.

“The people of South Australia should be extremely proud of our state’s firefighters,” Mr Wright said in a statement.

“They put their own lives on the line in the pursuit of protecting and saving others and they should be commended for that.”

MFS chief officer Grant Lupton said the number of SA firefighters who volunteered to go to Victoria during the February fires was overwhelming.

“On International Firefighters Day in 2009, let us remember the selfless dedication firefighters show not just to their own communities, but to other communities and firefighters in need,” he said in the statement.

He said people should also pause on Monday to remember firefighters who had died or been injured while serving the community.